Date: Mon, 13 Mar 1995 08:02:51 -0500 (EST)
From: David Casti
Subject: ACTION ALERT: KFC Orders Stores to Not Hire "Obvious" Gays
Hi folks,
There have been some messages about this rattling around the net for the
last week or so. Here's something you can sink your teeth into.
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David Casti Pager: (800) 980-6227
Information Scientist http://www.casti.com/casti/David.html
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---------- Forwarded message ----------
Submitted by: Jeff Jones
(Contact numbers/addresses at bottom)
STORY OF ANTI-GAY BIAS CHARGED AT KFC (KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN)
(Note: KFC is headquartered in Louisville, KY)
Reprinted from the Fairness Campaign (Louisville) Newsletter,
without permission)
Denise Bentley, the manager of a W. Main St. (Louisville) Kentucky
Fried Chicken store, reports that she hired a man away from another
fast food chain because she says that he was an extremely efficient
and courteous worker. He was openly gay and told her so in the job
interview.
"I didn't care what he was," Bentley said. "I saw that he was a
good worker, and I wanted him in my store."
But soon the KFC management representative who regularly visits the
stores told Bentley to terminate the man because KFC did not want
gay employees. Bentley refused. She told her supervisor that she
had no grounds to fire the man because he was doing an excellent
job.
The management representative repeated the order to Bentley several
times when he visited the store. She continued to refuse. Finally,
on a day when she was off from work, the management representative
fired the man.
He filed for unemployment compensation; the company opposed it, and
told Bentley not to come to the hearing. Top management would
handle it. But the man's lawyer subpoenaed Bentley, and she came.
She testified that the man's work record was excellent, and that she
knew of no valid reason for his dismissal. The man got his
unemployment compensation.
At a meeting soon thereafter, according to Bentley, KFC told its store
managers that they must not hire people who are "obviously" gay or
lesbian- whatever that means.
Charges of racial discrimination have also been leveled against KFC
in other cases. Protests against these injustices continue n
Louisville each Saturday at 11:30am at the KFC at 19th and Broadway.
(excerpted in turn from KY Alliance against Racist and Political
Repression)
Call and express your concern about this policy and the treatment of
KFC's workers: 1-800-CALL KFC (1-800-225-5532)
or Write:
Attn.: John Cranor, CEO
Kentucky Fried Chicken Corporation
1441 Gardiner Ln.
Louisville, KY 40213-1914
also: (502) 456-8300
----Jeff Jones-----------------------------jajone02@ukcc.uky.edu--------------